Anya
by Joraline
Summary: This one is my favourite. It deals with pre-game brothers and Atrus. Happy reading. Please R&R!
1. Prologue

(Okay here's the deal, I'm in for ratings. This is a field test. You like it- tell me and I'll keep going. You don't and I won't waste the energy of writing more. C'mon, gimmie a chance- you might be surprised!)  
  
~~~~~~~ Prologue ~~~~~~~  
  
Farther away than anyone could ever reach, an island sat in the middle of a vast ocean that stretched endlessly to the ends of the world. The island was claimed by a large domed building that seemed to touch the sky. Every so often it would rotate, and a bridge would connect it to a smaller island around its base. These other islands contained only a few huts and flooded gardens. A few were too small to have a house, but they served their own purpose.  
  
On top of the dome sat two men, discussing something. The taller one was adorned in diamonds and gold. His partner was shorter, dressed in dark robes. Odd little people swarmed around the dome, awaiting an audience with the two men. One young woman seemed to want a more urgent audience. The two men, still arguing, seemed to be sucked into the very dome and, arguing now, reappeared by the doors of the dome. The young woman threw herself at the feet of the taller one and pressed her face into the dirt.  
  
"Please, release my father. He has done you no harm," she wailed. The men waved her off.  
  
"Any wishes to converse with us can be made in our rooms. Achenar, do what you must with this petty girl," the taller one told her. The girl, fear in her large eyes, was dragged inside. Pretending not to notice, the little people conveniently forgot why they had come and left the island to tend their struggling gardens. The taller one stayed outside to survey his world for a moment, then followed the other. Once inside, a burst of air blew back his hair and the heat of the day was forgotten. Inside it was quiet and still. Inside he could think. His room was adjacent to the other man's. Achenar.  
  
"Sirrus, my brother, you should see this girl," Achenar requested of the taller man as soon as he entered his room. Sighing heavily, Sirrus complied. He cringed when he entered his brother's room. Steel and iron shackles hung from the ceiling and a metal cage sat dismally in the corner. His throne was merely an iron chair adorned with spikes. Inside the cage; however, sat the young woman. Sirrus walked to her and peered inside. She cowered at his gaze and averted her eyes. She was unremarkable in looks and her clothes were very plain.  
  
"I see nothing in her, Achenar, except that she is unharmed. You are the bloodthirsty one, brother. I merely dictate who you kill."  
  
"I know that, Sirrus. If you were more observant, you would notice that she looks like we do. Unlike those quivering little slaves that live here. Her ears are not pointed, nor is she significantly shorter than I."  
  
"Very good brother, but what do we do with her?"  
  
"We'll keep her. She should make a very good pet." 


	2. Chapter 1

~~~~~~ Chapter 1~~~~~~  
  
1 year later  
  
Carefully, I fingered the rich wood of the desk, marveling at its craftsmanship. Nothing could be less, according to my Master. Sleeping in the four-poster bed in the center of the room was Sirrus. Adjacent to the room I was in slept Achenar. The two brothers were inseparable, but rarely got along. I could hear the waves outside slapping the wood of the boat. Since I had been captured, the cage they usually kept me in has become increasingly more comfortable. The bars were now made of gold instead of iron, and the bottom was now covered in a gigantic fur rug. I did not like the time I spent inside it, but I had figured a way out. If I wiggled my hairpin inside the lock, I could snap it open.  
  
Once I was sure that Sirrus was asleep, I opened the lock. Carefully opening the door, I crawled out. Sirrus was still asleep, probably dreaming of tomorrow's treasures. I crept over to the bed and leaned over him. It would be so easy, I thought, to just smother him. But then Achenar would come running. And I would belong to him and not Sirrus. And that, I assured myself, was not worth risking. For as bad as Sirrus was, Achenar was 20 times worse. His slaves were ruthlessly beaten until death. I shuddered at the thought.  
  
I stood up fully and turned to walk off when an arm grabbed mine and pulled me downwards. I fell on the edge of the bed and felt a knife at my throat. Trying not to move, I kept completely still.  
  
"You! What are you doing?" Sirrus asked. He let the knife fall from my throat, and I whirled around to face him. His eyes, cold as dead embers, locked onto mine. I could hardly breathe. His fingers were still wrapped around my arm fully and he put a vice grip on it. He still held the dagger above his bare chest and I kept an every wary eye on it.  
  
"I wanted to go outside. I was getting hot. I did not know you were such a light sleeper. And that you carried a knife," I answered plainly.  
  
"That's stupid. You've seen it, haven't you?"  
  
"Well, yes, but again, I didn't know you'd wake up."  
  
"Then what were you doing, sneaking around me like that? I thought you were a robber. Or Achenar." I laughed inside at the thought. Achenar, the pig, sneaking around his brother's room. The thought made me laugh inwardly. And, as always, Sirrus was worried about his treasure.  
  
"I don't know," I told him, honestly. He let out an exasperated sigh and let me go.  
  
"Fine," he told me, "Go on deck. But don't let anyone catch you or I might have to give you to my brother. Now, let me sleep. And be back here before I wake up."  
  
"But how will I know when you will awaken?"  
  
"That's the chance of going on deck," he laughed and rolled over, tucking the knife into its sheath beside his bed.  
  
Rolling my eyes, I walked outside, being careful to not slam any of the doors, lest Achenar wake up. The salty air hit my face, and I breathed in the wind. The boat made a gentle motion and I could almost fall asleep up on deck. I heard someone coming and I crouched behind a barrel. It was just one of the crew, and one I knew well. His name was L'Meya. He navigated the boat towards the island. He also seemed to always navigate himself towards me. Standing over the barrel, he peered over me. His old hands were weathered and worn and his face was as wrinkled and cracked as the desert. He had watched over me from the start of the trip and promised to get me there safely. He had seen my cage, covered with a blanket and carried by four, strong slaves, board the ship. He found me one night, when Sirrus was gracious enough to let me roam for a while, admiring the iridescent fish that swam with the boat. I had learned so much from him. How to fish with just a stone and a woven rope and how to fight a storm. Like the rest of his kind, he was wary of the "deities" that roamed the boat, but he did not cower under their stare. She had told him many things about their mortality. I sat there talking to him until dawn broke. When the first rays of light hit my face, I panicked. Saying a fast goodbye, I ran back to my cage. When I opened the door, Sirrus was still asleep, but I was more cautious this time. As quiet as I could be I opened the now- locked lock with my hairpin. When it sprang open, I crept back into the cage and shut and locked the door. Feeling drowsy, I let the sea rock me to sleep. I woke up to a strange rustling sound. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. The sound came from the window. A strange bird peeked out at me and cocked its head. Its brilliant plumage shone a dazzling blue and orange. It rustled its feathers at me and flew off. I turned to see what had startled it and saw Sirrus.  
  
"The hairpins. Now. All of them," he ordered. 


	3. Chapter 2

~~~~~~ Chapter 2 ~~~~~~  
  
Later that afternoon, I was still sitting in my cage, but Sirrus had given me a rare gift. A few sheets of paper and a pen! Happily, I began to draw. It was my one passion. Back in my home world, I had drawn all the fish that my family caught. I surprised myself when I left because I didn't even miss them. It might be because my past was a mystery. I was taller than my family, almost as tall as Achenar (but not even reaching Sirrus) and my ears were rounded. I was not their child, but just a stranger's child, abandoned at birth. Now traveling through the worlds of the brother's (So they say) creation, I hoped to find my own world. I might even be from Sirrus and Achenar's world. Although I hope not. Sirrus was working on some letter on the desk next to my cage when the door burst open. Achenar, his boots caked with mud and his beard unshaven, marched in the door. Cringing, I cowered to the back of my cage. My drawings scattered and flew around the edges of my cage. Sirrus swiveled around in his chair to face his brother.  
  
"One of my slaves has escaped!" he cried. His voice echoed around the room. Still cowering, I tried to hide under a pillow. He was the only person I feared. Not because of any divine reason, but because of sheer brutality. He would have killed me if Sirrus had not intervened and saved me. Well, not saved, but taken me away from Achenar. Ever since, Achenar never looked at me. I guess that day he was feeling to crazy from his jailbreak, because he turned to me. Sirrus rose from his chair, focusing the attention away from me.  
  
"Why does that bother me?" he asked his brother carefully.  
  
"It was the one from Dacevena. The tribe leader's son," Achenar replied cautiously. He spoke like Sirrus might explode at any minute. He did.  
  
"WHAT!?! The one I paid FIFTY THOUSAND golden pearls for? You better find him Achenar. Or you will be paying me back with your flesh," Sirrus raged. I remembered that incident well. The locals didn't believe that they were anything greater than passing travelers, so they had to pay a lot for a slave boy. Oh.. Sirrus was mad. I stayed in my cage for the next 3 weeks. I was lucky I got to leave to go to the bathroom or even got fed. Now it looks like until that slave boy was found, it would be the same thing again. I shook my head. This would be a long voyage. But wait! Achenar had mud on his boots. And he would worry about a slave boy escaping on a boat. We were on land. If it weren't for Achenar and Sirrus, I would have jumped for joy. But there they stood, facing each other like two predators fighting over the same territory. Finally, Sirrus calmed down enough to dismiss his brother. Cursing under his breath, Achenar left the room. Sirrus turned to me and strode over to my cage. Fearing blows like I would have gotten from his brother, I cringed away. But he simply undid the lock.  
  
"What are we doing?" I asked as he pulled me out.  
  
"Getting away from Achenar. He might do something rash. Now let's go." I followed him around my cage to the desk he had been writing at. He opened a drawer and pulled out a book. It was a beautiful red color and a gold clasp held it closed. Taking a key from the chain around his neck, he opened the clasp and turned to the first page. In awe, I knew I was looking at the famous "Linking Book" that Sirrus and Achenar were always talking about. I was always blindfolded when they placed my hand on the books to take me places, but there was always another cage for me, almost the same but always a little different. There was also a little treasure for Sirrus that always seemed to grow and grow. When we left, it would be waiting for us when we returned. This time there was no blindfold and since there was no one to watch over me if I stayed or if I went first (I was always after Achenar and before Sirrus, I think) Sirrus placed his hand over mine and we went at the same time. When I arrived I was in a large library that seemed very deserted. 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3   
  
I gazed around and around until I felt dizzy. Sirrus was already poring through huge texts, looking for something. I walked over to the fireplace and was surprised to notice that no fire had ever been lit. It was big enough to hold a big man with room to spare. I wanted to crawl in to see what, if anything, lay inside, I noticed Sirrus looking at me. I stood up and walked by his side. Satisfied, he returned to his books. When he finished with one, he dropped it to the floor and picked up another. Hoping he wouldn't notice, I picked one up. Opening it, I found many strange symbols. Writing. I had never seen it before. Fascinated I flipped through the pages and saw more symbols, but these were drawings. Of constellations. They weren't of any I could name, but a few were like the ones I have seen before. Suddenly, Sirrus grabbed the end of my book.  
  
"Can you read this?" he asked me suddenly. Fearfully, I shook my head. Letting go of the end of my book, he forgot me once again. I was fascinated by the endless pictures in the books.  
  
"Sirrus, may I go outside?" I asked when the books ceased to be of any interest. He pondered a moment.  
  
"Yes, but if you find anything, come tell me. A book like the one that brought us here. If you find that, tell me. Do you understand?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
Outside, sun was shining and it filtered through the trees of a forest that lay straight ahead. All around I could hear the ocean. I must be on an island, I thought. Walking ahead I could see a wishing well with a sunken ship and a row of symbols. They looked quite like the symbols in the book. I saw many buildings as I ventured around the island, but I dared not enter any of them for fear I would get lost. The one thing that interested me the most was a sleek metal thing sitting atop a giant platform. It was narrower at one end and it grew larger toward the back. Out of the end of it were triangular strips. I walked closer to it and felt its sheer beauty. The metal was not hot like I expected, but pleasantly cool. I ventured to a little trail and spied something flying toward the ocean. I ran to catch up to it. When I grabbed it I saw that it was a scrap of paper with writing on it. It looked important, so I placed it back on the trail. Maybe someone would find it later. When I heard Sirrus call my name, I ran back to the library. He was very excited about something. He pulled a book out of his pocket and placed my hand upon it. The air felt instantly cooler and tasted saltier. Sirrus grabbed my arm and pulled me up to a ship. It was the world I had been traveling in before the island world. Commanding me to stay put, he walked to Achenar. They talked hurriedly and Sirrus turned to me.  
  
"You're going with us. I don't trust these people."  
  
"But what about the tribute you have here?" I asked, wondering if he was insane. He never left gold for anyone else.  
  
"Leave it. I have found the two treasure books!" he said, with a mad glint in his eye. Now afraid, I followed his lead as Achenar left through the linking book first. I didn't want to go in after him. I was very afraid of what he might do if Sirrus was held up. Sensing my fear, Sirrus went in after Achenar. He obviously didn't care if I stayed or left. I wanted to see; however, the "treasure books." I was again transported to the island world and I was surprised to see a lit match in Sirrus' hand. Before I could stop him, he started to light the books on fire. All of them were blackened in seconds, their writings incomprehensible. But, like I was taught, I stood still and prayed that Achenar would not notice me. In their hands were two books. A red one and a blue one. Sirrus started to put his hands on one of the books and stopped.  
  
"Anya!" he yelled at me.  
  
"Yes, sir?" I answered.  
  
"Go to this world. It might be a trap," he ordered. In fear I gazed at the book he held towards me. It looked like a palace, filled with gold and diamonds. Other gems, too. Rubies, emeralds and one type of gem, at the very top of the palace, shone with a bright lavender color. Intrigued, I reached out to touch the page. When I did, I was not transported to this strange land. Instead I was in a dark cell. There was plenty of food and water on a shelf next to me to last for years. I could see, through a large rectangle above me, Sirrus. He peered in and, with greed in his eyes, his hand covered the page. I felt myself being transported back to the other world. Instead of Sirrus and Achenar, there were only the two books. I started to put them back where I got them, but an idea struck me. I could leave this place!! But Sirrus and Achenar must never be free. Never. I ripped out a page from each of them and set them next to their respective books. I would scour this island for hiding places, then I would swim out of this island and either find a home on a neighboring island.or drown. 


End file.
